Rule 40-1-1-.01 - Organization(1) The Head of the Department is the Commissioner of Agriculture.(2) The Georgia Department of Agriculture is the regulatory department of the State government for the agricultural industry of the State. The objective of the Department is the regulation and control of products which farmers of the state buy or sell, as well as the promotion of agricultural products and commodities. The regulation by the Department is accomplished by Licensing, Issuance of Permits, Inspection and Sampling as well as the with-holding, suspension or revocation of licenses and permits.
The Department is organized into four branches known as the Office of Animal Industry, the Office of Plant Industry, and the Office of Marketing and Consumer Protection, with an additional Office for Administrative and Personnel Affairs.
(3) Where any law of the State of Georgia or any Rule or Regulation of the Department of Agriculture requires a license or permit from the Department before engaging in any particular activity, application for such license or permit may be made to the local inspector, the Supervisor, Section or Division Head concerned or to the Commissioner. Where the application is required to be accomplished on a specified form, the form will be furnished upon request to any of said persons.(4) When any application is denied and the denial shall result in a dispute, the matter shall be disposed of in accordance with the procedural rules adopted and promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture.(5) Inspectors of the Department will make such inspections and samplings as are authorized by the Regulations of the Department. Reports will be made to the Division concerned and appropriate action taken. Quarantine powers and the right to condemn livestock will be exercised in accordance with the law and the rules and regulations of the Department. Where indemnity programs are in effect application shall be made to the appropriate Section or Division Head or to the Commissioner of Agriculture and shall be acted upon in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department.(6) Requests for analysis of seed should be directed to the Seed Section or to the Commissioner of Agriculture. Other available cooperative services furnished by the Department will be made available upon informal request to the appropriate Division Head or the Commissioner.(7) The Department of Agriculture publishes the GEORGIA FARMERS' MARKET BULLETIN weekly as a part of its agricultural promotion service. Subscriptions are by request to the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Editor of the MARKET BULLETIN or the Chief of the Information and Education Section.(8) Commodity marketing associations established in accordance with the law operate under the Department of Agriculture but the marketing orders are proposed by the Agriculture Commodity Commission for the particular product and adopted by vote of producers of that product.(9) All applications for employment in the Department of Agriculture should be addressed to the Personnel Section within the Administrative Office of the Department.(10) Any labels, formulas, advertising material or other matter required by law or regulations to be approved by the Department of Agriculture should be submitted to the Section or Department Head Concerned.(11) The Department of Agriculture is also the administrative force charged with executing policies, rules and orders of the Milk Control Commission which is the agency charged with controlling the usage, distribution and price of milk. The rules, regulations and orders of the Milk Control Commission are published separately.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 40-1-1-.01
Ga. L. 1964, p. 338, as amended by Ga. Laws 1965, p. 283.
Original Rule filed on June 30, 1965.